The year 2006 was absolutely fantastic for D3football.com. We were able to do a lot of things, such as send Keith McMillan on the Run to the Playoffs, literally around the nation. I got to see a handful of different programs and places this season thanks to my new geography. We were able to participate in the NCAA’s live videocast of the semifinals. And Kickoff 2006 followed in the successful footsteps of Kickoff 2005.
With a great 2006 behind us, here’s some hopes and wishes for 2007:
More video: We’re at the mercy of some larger organizations on this one, hoping the NCAA will add Division III to the program it put together for Division II football, streaming some 40 games on the Net through CSTV. There are also still streaming companies who are trying to get D-III conferences interested. Conferences — look at this offer and get your schools on board. It benefits the entire division.
More teams: The 2007 season welcomes Birmingham-Southern, St. Vincent and Gallaudet. Gallaudet is attempting to return to the intercollegiate fold … again … from club status. Gallaudet hasn’t won a varsity game since 1991. Birmingham-Southern is moving up to Division III from Division I, in a decision that caused a great deal of rancor on campus and from the scholarship athletes. We hope for a peaceful transition and some football success. St. Vincent is joining Division III from the NAIA and will be in the second year of provisional status next season. And St. Scholastica has announced it will add football for 2008. The more the merrier.
More participation: We hear from more and more readers every year, and we would hope 2007 continues the trend. But the trend in recent years, too, has been not just more posters and blog comments but more sites run by fans dedicated to specific teams. Wabash started team blogs this year, including football. A Gettysburg fan blogs about their team, though it’s mostly a collection of the writings of others. Of course, there are several fan sites, including ones for Mount Union, UW-Whitewater, Cortland State, Bridgewater and others. But anyone can start a blog — perhaps it might be interesting for you to start one as a fan of a team you might think is underrepresented. Citizen journalism is a big buzzword in the media these days and you fans out there can join the group. Get video of your team and put it on YouTube.
More Martel: OK, well, this isn’t very likely — I’m sitting here late night/early morning listening to D3football.com audio director emeritus Ray Martel hosting an overnight talk show shift on WFAN. He and I started doing football games together in 1994. Been a while now.
More aggressive scheduling: Mary Hardin-Baylor/UW-Whitewater and Linfield/Hardin-Simmons were great games this year. Wouldn’t it be great to see more of this? The automatic bid is coaches’ safety net. Take more chances.
More willingness to follow own rules: Yeah, it’s OK to have Millsaps and Mary Hardin-Baylor be within 500 miles by your own definition but ignore it? Uh uh. The NCAA should live by its own handbook.
What would you like to see more of in 2007? (This is not promising we’ll be able to deliver, of course.) 🙂
Geneva PA joins the Presidents AC in Fall 2007 and brings its football program from the NAIA.
A win for the LaGrange football program, in its second year.
A win for the Becker football program, in its third year.
A win for Principia in 2007.
A formal conference alignment for the teams comprising the ACFC.
More D3 opponents in the South and Southwest and the Northwest, the more the merrier.
Playoff wins for the Michigan IAA, the Illini-Badger Football Conference and the New England Football Conference.
More sources of revenue for D3football.com and D3hoops.com, to allow even more growth by these sites.
Ooh, Ralph, I like that last one 🙂
Becker isn’t a bad team. They have a great head coach with Mel Mills and some hard hitting players, I expect them to be a lot better than people expect in a lot shorter time you might expect.
Becker did pick up a win this year, just not against a D-3 team. Still something to build off of though.
MMBosstone: That’s not saying much. I am not sure there are any expectations for Becker right now, so to exceed them might mean they can get to the Mount Ida level.
And Bosstone, that win was not only not against a D-III team, it was against a club team. There’s a reason games against club teams don’t count.
I hope that someone besides Mount Union or UW Whitewater make the DIII championship…it was good this year with the east ushering in some new blood…hopefully the rest of the regions can follow suit
Glad to strike a common chord, Keith!
Another wish, for the 1962 Texas Lutheran grad Verne Lundquist to do the Stagg Bowl.
A victory for Coach Hallet and the Student Princes.
I hope I learn to spell hallett
I hope the picture of “Matt Kostelnik’s blocked punt was the turning point for the Purple Raiders in a 35-16 Stagg Bowl win.”
by Ryan Tipps on the home page gets changed soon.
i agree with addendum…i hope it gets changed…
Ralph:
We’ll see if Verne is available to help out 🙂
I hope for a peaceful coaching transition at UW-Whitewater. I hope the players accept and work well with the new staff, the administration works well with them, and (possibly most importantly) for the fans and alumni to accept the “new guy.”
Oh yeah, also peace on earth, lots of Warhawk victories, goodwill towards men, etc…
Happy New Year, everyone!
When there’s front page news we’ll change the front page.
I can think of a particular hiring in Wisconsin that might be worthy when it’s official. Then Keith’s year in review.
Other than for a Johnnie national title, my wish is to see a game as exciting as Boise State-Oklahoma, preferably in the Stagg. Wow.
My wish for 2007 is for Division III football to gain more respect in the national media and be more visible. Televising more games would be a start and provide more press coverage.
Given the scope of the coverage, learning of other teams and programs is restriced to sites such as this, which is excellent. however, if given more exposure by traditional and national media outlets (TV and print media), the popularity and growth potential would be enormous and maybe provide funds to make distance matchups more feasible, draw more attention to programs so teams would have access to a greater talent pool, etc
Plus, it would allow for traditional seedings to take place which could mirror a format like the NCAA basketball playoffs.
Just idle ramblings from a new and interested follower of D3 football.
My hope for 2007 is that the NCAA finally realize that a D1 playoff is possible, just like it is in all other divisions, so that the entire nation can understand what it’s like to crown the true football national champion on the field.
Oh, and that I can get my 10th National Championship T-shirt from the MUC bookstore for Christmas……
Wish for 2007:
Hope the NCAA wakes up and accepts the Stagg Bowl bid from Texas. Salem has been a great host, but the time for change is here. No more practices in the parking lot !! No more Mud Bowls !! No more banquets in the gym !!
Dallas-Ft.Worth in December sounds pretty good to me !!
When was the last mud bowl in Salem?
When was the last time they practiced in a parking lot?
When was the last time they had a banquet in a gym? I’ve only seen them in the civic center arena.
Well WarhawkTrombone I think you are out of luck.
Not much chance of a peaceful coaching transition at UW-Whitewater. Some of the staff started cleaning out their offices on Friday and even got a chance to tell Bob what they REALLY thought of him on the way out.
Some of the players will accept and work well with the new staff, and some of them already went collectively to the chancellor to lodge their protest.
I am sure that the administration will work well with them–after the AD ignored the interview committee’s UNANIMOUS recommendation to hire Stan Zweifel and hired Lance I’d say it is safe to say things will work out well there.
I cannot speak for all of the fans and alumni, but I won’t accept the “new guy” but it does not matter–I have rid myself of anything I owned that said UW-Whitewater, will never step in that stadium again, and will be sure to warn potential student-athletes about the way things really work behind the scenes at UW-W.
Who hires a guy from the outside with no head coaching experience after going 28-2 with a veteran coaching staff? Paul Plinske does I guess but only because DLK tells him too.
The fewer Warhawk victories, the better.
Happy New Year.
acoltfan-
While I agree with you (and apparently many others) that Zweifel should have been given a chance and I understand your reasons for being sour on the decision, I’m not completely giving up on the program. I realize that there are people like you who can never forgive and nothing I can say will change your mind.
However, I’m going to try to be open-minded about this situation. Why punish an entire program, including the student-athletes who work so hard and truly deserve our attention and admiration, just because of one bone-headed move?
I’m just going to add this to the long list of reasons that I don’t like Paul Plinske. It’s hard for me to think of much he’s done well and he’s been nothing less than a pain in the side for the student-run basketball pep band we’ve got going. Yes the UW-W athletic teams have done very well during his tenure (national champoinships in Baseball and Volleyball, the obvious football success, WIAC championships for men’s basketball and various other sports, etc.), but I’ll give him absolutely no credit for it. If things go sharply downhill for the Warhawks, I think he deserves a good portion of the blame.
The part of your post that puzzles me the most, however, is the “only because DLK tells him too.” Why would DLK want Plinske to do something that would not only anger fans/other alumni but potentially be bad for the program? To the best of my knowledge everything he’s done has only been for the betterment of the department and program. While I agree that DLK has a lot of influence on the athletic department, I can’t see why he would be behind this move.
If I were AD I probably wouldn’t be worried with what a trombone player in the pep band thinks. I’ve been both a trombone player in the pep band and a full-time athletic department staffer and let me tell you, the trombone player has no idea what goes on in the department and what those jobs entail.
acoltfan,
You obviously have some serious inside information. I hope you will consider very carefully how you wield that power. While I am also incredibly disappointed that Coach Z did not get the position and if what you say is true, that the AD went against the recommendation of the committee to hire him, then I am even more so. But, that doesn’t mean I would do anything to hurt the remaining staff and players and I will give my full support to the new coach. This is a tough, complicated situation and true supporters will not contribute to or promote any more turmoil than there needs to be. The present staff and players have worked very hard and succeeded in taking Warhawk football to the national level and now the program must deal with the glare of the spotlight. This is personal business of the UWW community and every detail doesn’t need to be played out on a national website in my opinion.
Sorry, Pat, for not staying with the intent of this thread. I have purposely not posted anything regarding the coaching situation but felt that needed to be said. My hopes for 2007 would be the same as Warhawktrombone:
“I hope for a peaceful coaching transition at UW-Whitewater. I hope the players accept and work well with the new staff, the administration works well with them, and (possibly most importantly) for the fans and alumni to accept the “new guy.”
Oh yeah, also peace on earth, lots of Warhawk victories, goodwill towards men, etc…”
While awaiting the Year in Review column, I’ve been reading with interest about the apparent turmoil at UW-W. Though warhawktrombone is not the only poster to diss the coaching selection, I’m wondering why Pat was so condescendingly dismissive in his reply. Would warhawktrombone necessarily know less than any other average fan out there who has similarly posted. Care to share?
LG: Given the pissing and moaning that alot of WWW folks have been doing, you would think that the college just hired Elmer Fudd to be the head coach. Maybe Pat was a little tired of most of the Whitewater fans’ tone.
“Would warhawktrombone necessarily know less than any other average fan out there who has similarly posted.”
No. Would he be in a position to know as much about an athletic director as he wants us to think? That’s what I doubt and it is why I responded.
HScoach:
Appreciate the thought, but the comment was addressed solely to warhawktrombone and not to all UW-W moaners. That’s why I don’t think Pat’s motivation was as you say.
Pat:
Unless I’ve missed something in his two posts to this thread, I interpreted his comments as opinions rather than allegations of fact. Nothing suggests to me he’s trying to come off as a know-it-all. That’s why I was surprised at your comments.
Pat:
Agreed. There’s no good reason that Plinske should be or is concerned with what I (or any individual fan) think(s). I have no illusions that I know even a fraction of what goes on in the administrative offices. I just know how he’s interacted with me personally and with the basketball Pep Band in general. I also realize that some of my comments about Paul and the job he’s done at UWW were a bit harsh. I guess my logic train got slightly derailed for a bit…
I didn’t mean to imply that I know more than the average, or even below-average fan. I’ve only been following the program for the last 4 years or so since I became a student. If I came off as know-it-all, aloof, arrogant or any other variation I apologize. I was merely stating my opinion and not trying to convince the world that Plinske is a horrible guy.
All-in-all I will still support the program, wether I like the AD or not. And, returning to the original intent of Pat’s post, I hope Leipold can lead the Warhawks to a peaceful, successful and enjoyable season. acoltfan has already assured that the transition won’t be as smooth as initially hoped, but I’ll do my best. Provided work doesn’t take me elsewhere, I’ll be back in the Fall to cheer on the ‘Hawks. Hope to see some of you out there!
Best wishes to everyone for a happy and successful New Year!
Last mud bowl? 05
Last practice in a parking lot? 05
last time they had the banquet in a gym? I think that “banquet hall” is obviously a gymnasium that’s been made over a bit but definitely………………….Yup, still looks like a gym.
Granted they are switching to field turf so that’s not an issue anymore.
2005 was a mud bowl? Hardly. And yes, you caught your own error regarding the turf. Looking at photos from last year’s game that hardly qualifies.
Sorry you are turning up your nose at having the banquet in the arena. I think you are way off base.
The pictures don’t do it justice. They spray painted most of the field green to look good in the pictures. Mud with spray paint on it does not make it grass or turf.
I’m not turning my nose up about having the banquet in the arena. Quite honestly I could care less about where the banquet is held. I do care about the game’s facilties i.e. the field but that’s already being taken care of. I was just stating that it was in fact held in a gym though.
Dirt is not the same as mud. I spend a fair amount of time on the field before and afterwards. It wasn’t mud.
Another great year and job well done by all the D3 staff. I look forward to next year and can’t wait to see how UMHB and U-WW game plays out.
Why all the hard feelings from some of the U-WW fans about the new coach? If coach L does not win he’s out, then coach Z can step in. My question is will the new coach keep some of the assistant coaches? I think the new guy deserves support, his record is a good one, and he is an alumn. I hate to see fans wishing harm on the program because they don’t agree with the new hire. In fact, their loyalty is in question and maybe U-WW will be better off with these fans not stepping foot back into Perkins Stadium.
I HOPE we don’t have to move the Stagg Bowl some where else for some of these nit pickers to find out just how good we have we have it in Salem.
I HOPE the the good people of the Roanoke Valley know that the vast majority of us appreciate that we can come and enjoy a football game with free parking and $1.50 hot dogs and Pee Wee players rolling down the end zone hillside in the true spirit of D3 football.
And I HOPE to see the Stone Station gang and the rest of my D3 friends next fall no matter who is on the field in Salem, although I hope ……..
I was out at the Stagg in 2004 and had the chance to be around the field. Granted there were spots that were painted on but the turf held up great with no huge chunks of sod being ripped up (unlike 45 miles north the night before).
It looks like Salem is trying to make game facilities improvements each year and I like the fact that the game as an established identity with Salem. I have yet to hear of a possible destination that sounds more appealing than Salem.
Selfishly, I’d like to see the game in my neck of the woods (Coppell, TX). But I hope the powers that be select Salem once again. Like wildcat1144, my better half and I attended the 2004 game, and the folks of Salem could not have been more hospitable and gracious.
I too hope that this website finds additional sources of revenue-it has become my source for my D3 fix. Great stuff.
Although I don’t hope for bad things for anyone, I do hope whoever plays Mt. Union in the Stagg Bowl doesn’t get beat by Pierre Garcon like UWW did the last two years.
I hope those that are angry with the coaching selection at UWW don’t take it out on Lance, he is no different than the rest of us when competing for a job.
Lastly, I was a teammate of Lance Liepold-he is a great guy, a dedicated UWW alum and a smart football guy-I hope he has more success at UWW than all his predecessors.
My hope for 2007 is that at least one of the teams in the Stagg Bowl will not be wearing purple. Three years of dub purp is enough.
I overheard someone at the Stagg Bowl, it may have been one of the D3football.com people, say that he would give you every team except MUC and give you five-to-one odds if he could have Mt. Union. There were no takers. I guess we will have to see purple again. But please, only on one side, please?
Great topic Pat, and thank you D3Football.com for a terrific year of coverage! I hope I run into you again next season somewhere in NJAC land.
I also appreciate the recognition for CortlandFootball.com. If anyone is interested in starting a web page devoted to their favorite team, you can email me at my website or post on my blog. I will be happy to help you with advice, as well as warn of potential bumps in the road. And I don’t just mean getting lost in Paterson, NJ! 🙂 In the past I have corresponded with various webmasters including those from Bridgewater and Whitewater. I talk to JT from Rowan at some point every season.
I agree that more internet video streaming is needed in 2007. Particularly if the games can be archived for later viewing. I am on the road following Cortland every Saturday. I would love to get home and watch the Fisher or Ithaca games, or catch a future NJAC opponent, or see what is going on in the Liberty League.
What I expect from 2007 –
A Mount Union national championship (had to get that one out of the way)
A better team from Morrisville. The Mustangs put a respectable product on the field in its first D3 season. Let’s see what the new recruiting class looks like.
A very dangerous Kean team. The defending ECAC champions will have AJ Roque as a senior. He is the best QB in the NJAC at this point.
Ithaca vs St John Fisher – The “Draw a line in the sand game.” IC gets the 2007 game in their house, and Fisher graduates their all-world running back. IC has to win, or Fisher becomes the new power of the E8 in everyone’s eyes.
A few more scheduling agreements between public and private schools in the northeast. Probably no chance of this happening, but it is sorely needed. There are too many unanswered questions prior to the playoffs every season in the East bracket.
Pakownr97,
That was me who hatched that ridiculous bet that no one wants any part of. All I’m saying is — not that I bet, NCAA — give me the Purple Raiders and you get the field at 5-to-1 odds … you never know, maybe they’ll have some devastating injuries or someone else will go on a magical run.
As far as Lance Leipold, I kind of feel bad for the guy, especially since he’s a UWW guy who once worked with Berezowitz and not an outsider like some people are portraying.
Having been through a coaching change scenario as a player, I know everyone always wants the in-house coordinator to be the guy, and if that doesn’t happen, you’re pissed for a while … but at a certain point, the guy is the guy who’s leading you, and you have to accept him and accept that he wants the same things for you as the in-house guy would have, and the things you want for yourself.
Not having followed the situation too closely, I can only offer some basic logic and theory. One, if Plinske picked Leipold over a guy who has worked for UWW for 13/16 years (I forget which was which), it probably says more about how strongly he felt about Leipold rather than how he didn’t feel that way about Zwiefel. It makes sense that he has two candidates that probably can do the job, and he has to select one. I think it was rather bold to select the unpopular candidate, but since the AD would only want the best for UWW, I don’t understand why people won’t give him the benefit of the doubt, since he clearly must have seen something in him to make what he had to know was going to be an unpopular choice.
I am sure Stan Zwiefel will land on his feet, and I am willing to bet that UWW ends up liking the new hire in the long run. It could fail, sure, but it’s an interesting situation. While I don’t think UWW is a Stagg Bowl contender for next year, these are key times for building/recruiting/sustaining the success from consecutive Stagg appearances. And it’s kind of a no-win situation, because if he loses (and I mean only a few games. I could see the Warhawks possibly missing the playoffs or not winning the WIAC next year, depending on what’s back elsewhere) he’ll get blamed, but if he wins they’ll say it was all with Berezowitz’s guys.
Anyway, those are kind of thoughts from afar. Having been through a transition, you kind of have to get on board with the new guy ASAP and start defining your role. For some it’s a fresh start and it works out, some other lose favor they’d curried with the old staff. But you’re all working toward the same goal, and the AD and fans all want the same thing – mo’ Ws – so I don’t see why so much trust and discontent besides the obvious emotional sting, and I don’t mean any of this to be insenstive to Zwiefel.
I guess I’m more of a rational, benefit of the doubt type-guy than a cynic / conspiracy theorist.
FWIW.
My hopes for 2007 are simple.
1. People to get over Zweifel not getting the head job at UWW (myself included) and support the team regardless.
2. More great D3 football.
Side note: Does anybody know if Coach Z is staying on as the offensive coordinator?
my hopes for 2007…some other team then whitewater…it wasn’t even fun to watch this years stagg bowl…i would think after 2005’s game then would have learned but they didnt…whitewater is not really that great
I’m sorry you felt UW-Whitewater wasn’t up to your personal standards. Next time we will run the Stagg Bowl opponent by you first.
mtunion141, that lack of humility is disgusting.
When you read the hundreds of blogs that have admired what Mount Union and Coach Kehres have done,
and the appreciation that we D3fans have stated for how he and his coaching staff have brought out excellence in each newly configured team, year after year,
and the dignity that he has publicly maintained in this period of dynastic success,
it is apparent that you are not comprehending the greater lessons being taught.
My prayer for you, in your life, is that you ultimately experience your greatest joy, when you have been in quiet humble servitude to those around you who need it most.
My hope is that the rest of the DIII world doesn’t judge the rest of us Mount fans by that tacky statement from Mtunion141. Sounds like he just graduated from the school of “flush the johnnies” University.
RE: Stagg Bowl
A single response and I will let the issue die.
At the heart of American free enterprise, listen carefully to the beat of competition. Competition drives growth, product quality, and industry advancements regardless of the enterprise. Whether we speak of Salsa (New York City?!!), automobiles, boxer shorts or Stagg Bowls, competition drives the product.
Again, not a knock at Salem, but they were pretty complacent for a long time until a competitive bid was submitted. Do not be so naive to believe the field turf decision was not driven by competition. Without that Texas bid, we would be looking forward to more painted mud, sorry, dirt.
I am thrilled that another community realizes the attributes of Div 3 and has enough interest to get involved. Looks like these folks have a lot to offer and certainly deserve fair and unbiased consideration. I realize that will be difficult in dealing with the politics of the NCAA and Salem history, but I hope their interest and proposal are not perceived merely as tools to be used to improve the current situation.
Let’s compare and try to be a bit objective on a few points:
Location – Centrally located Dallas \ Ft. Worth vs. East coast Salem location
Transportation – DFW (#3 airport in the country) vs. Roanoke Municipal – DFW is 10 minutes from the proposed stadium
Weather – Average December high temp – DFW 58* vs. Salem 48* – Should we consider average snowfall?
The Market – The folks of Salem may be very hospitable, but do they truly support the event? Trying to be fair, eliminate the highest & lowest figures and the recent 10 year average attendance is below 5,000 !! Most “Friday Night Lights” high school games in this area average more.
Facilities – I recently visited the proposed Texas site – Replacing the turf this summer – 60 yard indoor practice field – 3 adjoining outdoor practice fields – indoor press facilities on both sides – updated locker rooms – sports medicine \ trainers facilities – conference \ press rooms on site
Overall, the Texas facility offers so much more for the players’ enjoyment and safety. Spectators would have a better selection of accommodations, entertainment, and transportation on a smaller budget.
I weigh the facts and the scales tip heavily to one side without the NCAA political weight added to tip the scales in a different direction.
In my opinion, it is simply time for a change. If the game is to grow, it has to move onward and upward. If the staff in Texas performs on level with the market, they could have a nice problem down the line – they could easily outgrow the facility! Uhmmmm – maybe the Cotton Bowl, or Texas Stadium or even the Cowboy new $ Billion Dome. And please, before you respond with the Div 3 preferred “atmosphere” rhetoric, ask the players if they would like to play the Stagg Bowl in front of 30 or 40 thousand!
Happy New Year to all.
P.S. And if the folks in Va. decide to play the card of hosting other championships, I hope they will think twice. I understand that Softball, Basketball, and Baseball can also be found in the DFW area.
“Again, not a knock at Salem, but they were pretty complacent for a long time until a competitive bid was submitted.”
And you know this because … ?
Improvements have been made to the Stagg Bowl every year I’ve been there. Texas was not in the picture.
There’s a reason the NCAA hasn’t put its D-III championships in large cities in the past — it would get lost in the shuffle. In small towns (Salem, Va.; Appleton, Wis.; Danbury, Conn.; Springfield, Mass.) the championship gets championship attention.
Sounds like you have a personal stake in this bid.